AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) recently named a team of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC) employees as winners of an annual Technology Transfer award, recognizing successful research, development and implementation of technology solutions that benefit the electric power industry.

FENOC was the first company in the U.S. nuclear power industry to use a standardized process developed by EPRI to train and confirm workers' abilities to perform plant maintenance activities. A key benefit of this process is that qualifications earned at one plant also are valid at other U.S. nuclear facilities, reducing the time and expenses associated with training workers. The FENOC team applied the process when qualifying workers to safely perform heavy material movement using cranes inside the plant.

Members of the award-winning FENOC team include: Tammie Nicoletti Bever of Beaver County, Pa., Tyrone Turner of Beaver County, Pa., and John Zanetta of Greentree Borough, Pa., all from the Beaver Valley Power Station; David Eldred of Oak Harbor, Ohio, and Michael Kaminski of Castalia, Ohio, from the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station; Robert Fundis of Austinburg, Ohio, and Paul Gant of Madison, Ohio, from the Perry Nuclear Power Plant; and Archie Proffit of Norton, Ohio, from FENOC fleet maintenance in Akron.

"I am very proud of our employees for implementing this beneficial process across our fleet and leading the way for others in the industry," said Pete Sena, FENOC President and Chief Nuclear Officer. "Their efforts support continued safe performance at our facilities while promoting efficiency in the training and qualification process across the nuclear industry."

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its FENOC subsidiary also operates the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, Pa., the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio. Visit FirstEnergy on the web at www.firstenergycorp.com or follow the company's nuclear plants on Twitter: @BVPowerStation, @DavisBesse and @Perry_Plant.

About EPRI

The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, affordability, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent approximately 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to more than 30 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.